Effects of biosurfactant-producing bacteria on biodegradation and transport of phenanthrene in subsurface soil

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of surfactant-producing microorganism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, on phenanthrene (PHE) biodegradation by two different PHE-degrading bacteria (Isolate P5-2 and Pseudomonas strain R) in soil. Phenanthrene mineralization experiments were conducted with soils inoculated with one of PHE-degraders and/or the surfactant-producer. Influence of co-inoculation with the surfactant-producing bacteria on phenanthrene transport and biodegradation was also examined in soil columns. P. strain R mineralized phenanthrene faster and to a greater extent than Isolate P5-2 in the test soil. Co-inoculation with the surfactant-producing bacteria significantly enhanced phenanthrene biodegradation by P. strain R but it did not affect the biodegradation by Isolate P5-2 in both batch and column systems. Production of biosurfactants by P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 was negligible under the given conditions. This study demonstrated that bioaugmentation with surfactant-producing bacteria could enhance in situ bioremediation of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the beneficial effect of the bioaugmentation depended on types of PAH-degrading microorganisms present.

Keywords:

• Bioaugmentation
• biodegradation
• biosurfactant
• co-inoculation
• PAHs
• phenanthrene

Funding

The U.S. Geological Survey provided funding for this research.